John Branney is top junior
Last updated 19:44, Thursday, 17 July 2008
JOHN Branney has given his season a major boost by winning a prestigious individual competition at Belle Vue on Wednesday night.
The Workington Comets reserve dropped only one point, winning four of his five races in the Greggs Northwest Belle Vue Junior Championship.
That defeat came in the very first race of the meeting when he gated well but went too wide on the third bend, allowing Aaron Summers to nip up the inside and go on to win.
But that second place was to prove vital for although Summers won his first four races he could only manage third in his last.
Comets team manager Ian Thomas said: “I’m absolutely delighted for John. This will boost his confidence no end and it will also get him noticed which will help when he looks for new sponsors.
“He’s a smashing lad and I bet it wouldn’t be easy going round Belle Vue. The fact that he’s beaten some good riders makes it an even better achievement.”
But Craig Branney’s hopes of a return to the saddle this season have been dashed.
The Comet, who broke his leg in five places at the Telford Ice spectacular in February, had hoped to be given the all clear to resume riding.
But the visit to the surgeon didn’t go according to plan and the Workington-based rider is having to re-adjust his targets. He said: “I was expecting to be told that I could start riding again and I had planned to be on a bike, having a practice somewhere the very next day.
“But I have to be honest and say that I still get a bit of pain from the leg, especially when I walk fast like I used to. I have to slow down a bit.
“The leg is healing, but it’s healing slowly. When they first operated I was told three to six months but I was naturally looking for the shortest recovery time. It’s going to be six months now and this season will have to be written off.”
But Branney is determined to come back as good as new for the 2009 season and is already mapping out his plan of action during the winter.
Comets’ Daniel Nermark scored seven points for Sweden in their World Cup clash at Coventry this week.
Sweden into second well ahead of Great Britain but too far behind Denmark to claim an outright place in the final.
Nermark had a win, a second and two thirds but was excluded from his last race after a fall.
Denmark joined Australia in the final but Great Britain and Sweden clashed again last night in the race-off with Russia and Poland.
Comets race Mildenhall at Derwent Park tomorow night (7pm start).
